I am Melanie Strauss and I am a Chemist, currently working at Mettler Toledo as a Product Manager. I grew up in a rural area in Germany, where I attended an all-girls school, before moving for my Bachelor’s in Munich. I obtained my Master’s degree in the male-dominated Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis field in 2019 at the Technical University of Munich.

After my master’s, I stayed for two years at ETH Zürich doing research in Bioinspired Molecular Catalysis. During this time, I was a member of the Union of Assistants at the Chemical Labs at ETH Zürich. From late 2021 to 2022, I was a member of the political board and Ph.D. representative of the Inorganic Laboratory. 

I joined 500WS Zurich Pod and the coordination team in 2022. My interest in gender equality sparked from a young age during my high school years. I protested for keeping safe spaces for female pupils when boys were introduced to my all-girls school.
During my undergraduate studies, as a House Representative, I helped female students face problems in my student facility, Studentenstadt Freimann. I am happy to continue to spread awareness about gender issues and help make science a more inclusive place with the help of 500WS!